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Matrine (MA) is an alkaloid extracted from the root of genus Sophora with various pharmacological activities. Production of MA by endophytic fungi offers an alternative challenge to reduce the massive consumption to meet the increasing demand of MA. In the current study, the positive strains with MA producing ability were screened from endophytic fungal isolated from the root of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep. Chromatographic analyses verified the identity of the produced MA. Among these fungi, Galactomyces candidum strain TRP-7 was the most valuable strain for MA production with the initial yield 8.26 mg L−1. The MA production was efficiently maximized up to 17.57 mg L−1 of fermentation broth, after optimization of eight process parameters using Plackett–Burman and Box-Behnken designs. The statistical optimization resulted in a 1.127 times increase in MA production as compared to the initial yield of TRP-7. This is the first report to isolate endophytic fungi with MA-producing activity from S. tonkinensis Gagnep., and to identify an endophytic fungus G. candidum TRP-7 as a new promising start strain for a higher MA yield.

This study identifies the potential use of the combined application of hardwood-derived biochar (BC) and phytohormone-producing endophytes for enhancing crop production under heavy metal stress. For this purpose, the endophyte Galactomyces geotrichum WLL1 was isolated from Trapa japonica inhabiting a Korean river whose rainfall catchment area included an abandoned zinc mine. Pyrolyzed BC derived from pine hardwoods was obtained commercially. Under growth chamber conditions, the combined or individual application of G. geotrichum WLL1 and BC (15 % w/w) significantly improved soybean growth with or without excess Zn (5,253.6 mg kg⁻¹). The beneficial effect of treatments was observed in the low uptake of Zn by different plant tissues and its immobilization in the soil. Biochar and G. geotrichum WLL1 shared their beneficial properties synergistically and improved plant growth characteristics with or without Zn heavy metal stress (HMS). Further, intensive root colonization of G. geotrichum WLL1 in the presence of BC was observed irrespective of HMS. Most interestingly, BC and G. geotrichum WLL1 had a priming effect by inducing systemic resistance in soybeans as revealed by significantly large amounts of jasmonic acid. These properties of BC could be exploited under abiotic and biotic stress. Here, for the first time, the combined application of hardwood-derived BC and phytohormone-producing endophytes is recommended for environmentally friendly and cost-effective crop production under HMS.

The increase in demand for food flavorings due to the shortening and simplification of food production technology also entails an increase in the demand for new technologies for their production. The biotechnological production of aromas is a solution characterized by a high efficiency, an independence from environmental factors and a relatively low cost. In this study, the influence of the implementation of lactic acid bacteria pre-fermentation into the production of aroma compounds by Galactomyces geotrichum on a sour whey medium on the intensity of the obtained aroma composition was analyzed. The monitoring of the culture in terms of biomass buildup, the concentration of selected compounds, and the pH resulted in the confirmation of interactions between the analyzed microorganisms. The post-fermentation product underwent a comprehensive sensomic analysis for the identification and quantification of the aroma-active compounds. The use of gas chromatography−olfactometry (GC−O) analysis and the calculation of odor activity values (OAVs) allowed 12 key odorants to be identified in the post-fermentation product. The highest OAV was found for phenylacetaldehyde with a honey odor (1815). The following compounds with the highest OAVs were 2,3-butanedione with a buttery aroma (233), phenylacetic acid with a honey aroma (197), 2,3-butanediol with a buttery aroma (103), 2-phenylethanol with a rosy aroma (39), ethyl octanoate with a fruity aroma (15), and ethyl hexanoate with a fruity aroma (14).

In previous studies of ionic liquid (IL) tolerance of numerous species of ascomycetous yeasts, two strains of Wickerhamomyces ciferrii and Galactomyces candidus had unusually high tolerance in media containing up to 5% (w/v) of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2C1Im][OAc]). The study aimed at investigating whether additional strains of these species, and additional species in the Dipodascaceae family, also possess IL tolerance, and to compare sensitivity to the acetate and chloride versions of the ionic liquid. Fifty five yeast strains in the family Dipodascaceae, which encompasses genera Galactomyces, Geotrichum, and Dipodascus, and seven yeast strains of species Wickerhamomyces ciferrii were tested for ability to grow in laboratory medium containing no IL, 242 mM [C2C1Im][OAc], or 242 mM [C2C1Im]Cl, and in IL-pretreated switchgrass hydrolysate. Many yeasts exhibited tolerance of one or both ILs, with higher tolerance of the chloride anion than of the acetate anion. Different strains of the same species exhibited varying degrees of IL tolerance. Galactomyces candidus, UCDFSTs 52–260, and 50–64, had exceptionally robust growth in [C2C1Im][OAc], and also grew well in the switchgrass hydrolysate. Identification of IL tolerant and IL resistant yeast strains will facilitate studies of the mechanism of IL tolerance, which could include superior efflux, metabolism or exclusion.

Machinery mold is a foodborne fungus associated with spoilage of fruit and vegetable products, as well as colonization of the food production environment. Galactomyces spp. are not considered heat-resistant molds, although their sensitivity to mild heat treatments, like blanching and pasteurization, as well as to nonthermal treatments, like high pressure processing (HPP), remains unknown. Cultures of two Galactomyces spp. isolates, Galactomyces geotrichum and Galactomyces candidum, were heat treated at 50, 53, and 55°C and HPP treated at 4°C for 90 s at 300, 400, and 600 MPa. The 2-day-old G. geotrichum had a D-value of 0.99 ± 0.04 min and 28-day-old G. geotrichum had a D-value of 1.28 ± 0.07 min at 55°C. Meanwhile, 2-day-old G. candidum had a D-value of 3.13 ± 0.20 min and 28-day-old G. candidum had a D-value of 1.60 ± 0.01 min at 55°C. Overall, the significant differences in D-values between the two cultivation times were modest, and statistical significance was not consistent across all three temperatures. However, the differences were more pronounced at higher processing temperatures. G. geotrichum was only reduced by 0.32 ± 0.07 log CFU/mL after 90 s at 300 MPa. However, increasing the treatment level to 400 MPa for 90 s decreased the counts for G. geotrichum to below the limit of detection (<1 log CFU/mL) following HPP treatment. Meanwhile, the counts for G. candidum survivors at 400 MPa were 1.36 ± 0.08 log CFU/mL and were under the limit of detection at 600 MPa for 90 s. Based on the findings in this study, machinery mold contaminants would be readily inactivated by the processing conditions used to target a 5-log reduction in the bacterial pathogen of concern.

The conventional treatments used to remove dyes produced as a result of different industrial activities are not completely effective. At times, some toxic by-products are generated, affecting aquatic ecosystems. In this article, an efficient use of microorganisms is presented as a biodegradation technique that is a safe environmental alternative for the benefit of aquatic life. A strain of the yeast Galactomyces geotrichum KL20A isolated from Kumis (a Colombian natural fermented milk) was used for Methylene Blue (MB) bioremoval. Two parameters of the bioremediation process were studied at three different levels: initial dye concentration and growth temperature. The maximum time of MB exposure to the yeast was 48 h. Finally, a pseudo-first-order model was used to simulate the kinetics of the process. The removal percentages of MB, by action of G. geotrichum KL20A were greater than 70% under the best operating conditions and in addition, the kinetic simulation of the experimental results indicated that the constant rate of the process was 2.2 × 10-2 h−1 with a half time for biotransformation of 31.2 h. The cytotoxicity test based on the hemolytic reaction indicated that by-products obtained after the bioremoval process reached a much lower percentage of hemolysis (22%) compared to the hemolytic activity of the negative control (100%). All of these results suggest that the strain has the capacity to remove significant amounts of MB from wastewater effluents.

In this study, sequential biological pretreatment (BP) with Galactomyces sp. CCZU11-1 at 30 °C for 3 days and deep eutectic solvent (DES) choline chloride: oxalic acid (ChCl:OA, 1 mol/2 mol) extraction at 120 °C for 1.5 h was used for pretreating BSS. It was found that combination pretreatment could effectively remove xylan and lignin for enhancing enzymatic saccharification. The reducing sugars and glucose from the hydrolysis of 100 g/L pretreated BSS with complexed cellulases of Galactomyces sp. CCZU11-1 were obtained in the yields of 81.0% and 74.1%, respectively. The BSS-hydrolyzates had no inhibitory effects on the lipid-accumulating microorganism Bacillus sp. CCZU11-1, and the cell mass and TAG accumulation were 4.8 g CDW/L and 2.2 g TAG/L, respectively. Fatty acids including palmitic acid (C16:0; 25.3%), palmitoleic acid (C16:1; 24.4%), stearic acid (C18:0; 15.1%), and oleic acid (C18:1; 21.6%) were accumulated in cells. Clearly, this combination pretreatment has high potential application in future.

Agarwood oil, often called attar, is a valuable perfume retainer derived from Aquilaria malaccensis. It is obtained through a process of fermentation followed by distillation. The microbes involved in fermentation during agarwood processing have neither been documented nor their role in the process deciphered yet. The present study characterizes the fungi and bacteria engaged in the agarwood fermentation and assesses their colony forming units (CFU) in three categories of agarwood fermentation broth (AFB) collected from three small-scale industries of Hojai, Assam at varying time points. It was interesting to note that grade-A AFB contained the highest CFU count for both bacteria and fungi; the metabolite profile also revealed that the oil obtained from grade-A agarwood comprised of the highest number of compounds. The CFU count increased from 0 to 21 days during fermentation. A total of 105 bacteria and 9 fungi were isolated from 3 different grades of AFB. Shannon index (H' = 0.81) was observed maximum in grade-C AFB and fisher index (α = 2.6) observed maximum for grade-A AFB. The genus Bacillus with a Pi value of 0.61 exhibited dominance among isolated bacteria, while the genus Galactomyces was dominant among fungi with a Pi value of 0.43. The metabolite profiles of three grades of oil obtained after fermentation and one solvent extracted (S.E.) grade agarwood oil analyzed using GC–MS, which showed distinct differences among the oil. The outcomes of this study are expected to create new opportunities for improving oil production methods by modulating biochemical processes involved in fermentation.

Mask wearing is described as one of the main public health measures against COVID-19. Mask wearing induces various types of subjective and objective facial skin damage, such as hair pore dilatation and redness. Facial pore size and redness show morning-to-evening intra-day fluctuations. It remains unknown whether mask usage affects fluctuations in pore size and redness. We measured facial skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), pore size, and redness four times a day for 6 weeks in 20 healthy young women. After a 2-week no-mask-usage period (baseline period), all subjects wore unwoven masks for 2 weeks; then, for the following 2 weeks, they applied masks after the topical application of a moisturizer containing a Galactomyces ferment filtrate (GFF) skin care formula (Pitera™). We demonstrated that mask wearing significantly increased the intra-day fluctuations of pore size, redness, and TEWL. In addition, significant correlations were evident among these three parameters. Notably, these mask-induced skin changes were significantly improved, achieving a return to baseline levels, by the application of a GFF-containing moisturizer. In conclusion, mask wearing aggravates intra-day fluctuations in pore size and redness. Appropriate moisturization can minimize this mask-related skin damage, most likely by normalizing the elevated TEWL.

Lignocellulosic plant biomass is the target feedstock for production of second‐generation biofuels. Ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment can enhance deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars that can be fermented to ethanol. Although biomass is typically washed following IL pretreatment, small quantities of residual IL can inhibit fermentative microorganisms downstream, such as the widely used ethanologenic yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The aim of this study was to identify yeasts tolerant to the IL 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate, one of the top performing ILs known for biomass pretreatment. One hundred and sixty eight strains spanning the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota phyla were selected for screening, with emphasis on yeasts within or closely related to the Saccharomyces genus and those tolerant to saline environments. Based on growth in media containing 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate, tolerance to IL levels ranging 1–5% was observed for 80 strains. The effect of 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate concentration on maximum cell density and growth rate was quantified to rank tolerance. The most tolerant yeasts included strains from the genera Clavispora, Debaryomyces, Galactomyces, Hyphopichia, Kazachstania, Meyerozyma, Naumovozyma, Wickerhamomyces, Yarrowia, and Zygoascus. These yeasts included species known to degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides and those capable of ethanol fermentation. These yeasts warrant further investigation for use in saccharification and fermentation of IL‐pretreated lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol or other products.